Ischyrochampsa is an extinct genus

Genus

In biology, a genus is a low-level taxonomic rank used in the biological classification of living and fossil organisms, which is an example of definition by genus and differentia...

 of Late Cretaceous

Late Cretaceous

The Late Cretaceous is the younger of two epochs into which the Cretaceous period is divided in the geologic timescale. Rock strata from this epoch form the Upper Cretaceous series...

 mesoeucrocodylia

Mesoeucrocodylia

Mesoeucrocodylia is the name of the clade that includes Eusuchia and the paraphyletic group Mesosuchia. The group appeared during the Early Jurassic, and continues to the present day....

n. Fossils of the type species

Type species

In biological nomenclature, a type species is both a concept and a practical system which is used in the classification and nomenclature of animals and plants. The value of a "type species" lies in the fact that it makes clear what is meant by a particular genus name. A type species is the species...

 I. meridionalis are late Campanian

Campanian

The Campanian is, in the ICS' geologic timescale, the fifth of six ages of the Late Cretaceous epoch . The Campanian spans the time from 83.5 ± 0.7 Ma to 70.6 ± 0.6 Ma ...

 in age and were found in the commune of Saint-Estève-Janson

Saint-Estève-Janson

Saint-Estève-Janson is a commune in the Bouches-du-Rhône department in southern France.-Population:-References:*...

 in Bouches-du-Rhône

Bouches-du-Rhône

Bouches-du-Rhône is a department in the south of France named after the mouth of the Rhône River. It is the most populous department of the Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur region. Its INSEE and postal code is 13.-History of the department:...

, France

France

The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...

. Material is also known from Spain

Spain

Spain , officially the Kingdom of Spain languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Spain's official name is as follows:;;;;;;), is a country and member state of the European Union located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula...

. At an estimated length of over 4 metres (13.1 ft), Ischyrochampsa was a large mesoeucrocodylian. It was named and described in 1995.

Ischyrochampsa was first classified as a trematochampsid, but is now thought to be a more basal

Basal (phylogenetics)

In phylogenetics, a basal clade is the earliest clade to branch in a larger clade; it appears at the base of a cladogram.A basal group forms an outgroup to the rest of the clade, such as in the following example:...

 mesoeucrocodylian. It is one of only a few non-eusuchia

Eusuchia

Eusuchia is a clade of crocodylomorphs that first appears in the Early Cretaceous with Hylaeochampsa. All living crocodilian species are eusuchians, as are many extinct forms.-Description:...

n mesoeucrocodylians found in Europe during the Late Cretaceous, the others being Doratodon

Doratodon

Doratodon is an extinct genus of crocodylomorph that was once believed to be a dinosaur.- Species :The type species is D. carcharidens from the Late Cretaceous of Austria, whilst the second known species is D. ibericus from the Late Cretaceous of Spain.-References:*Company, J., Suberbiola, X.P.,...

and Theriosuchus

Theriosuchus

Theriosuchus is an extinct genus of atoposaurid mesoeucrocodylian from the Late Jurassic of Europe, the Early Cretaceous of Asia and the Late Cretaceous of Romania. The five species are T. pusillus from England , T. ibericus from Spain , T. guimarotae from Portugal , T. sympiestodon from Romania...

.